I was on a private charter of the Jewel from Hong Kong to Tokyo for a 10 night adventure. I had a balcony room to myself for the holiday. Boarding went smoothly but when it was announced that all the staterooms were ready, mine was still ... Read More

I was on a private charter of the Jewel from Hong Kong to Tokyo for a 10 night adventure. I had a balcony room to myself for the holiday. Boarding went smoothly but when it was announced that all the staterooms were ready, mine was still not. Even after I was allowed in, I had to call back the room attendant there was still dirt on the glass shelves in the bathroom. Not having a clean bathroom from the start was only the begining of a poorly run ship.
I gave 3 stars because my state room was great and the entertainment was very good.
One of our biggest complaints was the overt and racist "Washy, washy, happy, happy" in a mocking Asian accent, that were were greeted with when entering the cafeteria at every meal. How insensitive! Our Asian friends, and this cruise originated in Hong Kong so many were on board. Were horrified as we were to find out that this is a NCL saying and the crew are required to say it. I reached out to NCL on Facebook messenger and I could see they read my concerns but never responded!
After a 12 million dollar restoration you expect things to work. There were so many things broken and not fixed it became was a joke. We asked every day for the lockers in the spa to work. Were told that no one had complained and they all worked, but the attendant who came to help us could not use them either because they were broken. We were told every day that no one had complained even though they took my room number every day when I said something. In the cafeteria the coffee and expresso machines were out of order most every day and when we said something were were told to go to the end of the ship for the one working machine(it did not work either). Mexican food day, there was no tortillas and asking for guacamole was like pulling teeth.. Seriously, Mexican group was very angry.. as were we..They were so stingy with tortillas we were only allowed 2 each and one teaspoon of guacamole. I made the girl angry by demanding more.. I wanted some for my tortilla chips and salsa.. which had no spice or heat.
We tried the main dining rooms, but the service was so bad and the food either over cooked or just cold(cold french fries with a cold not edible steak) That was after the fish I ordered was so dry it was not edible. We had a table of 8 one night and the food came out so slow for some of us that many of our friends had finished dinner and desert by the time we were getting our main meal. It was inexcusable. We finally had a good meal at Le Bistro after the Restaurant's manager personally took us there and paid for our meal and wine as he was so embarrassed! The Brazilian restaurant was also very good, But you had to pay for that. We ate at Tapanyaki the first night and it was a joke! The "chef" did a song and dance and tapped spatulas, many of which he dropped! The rice was not edible as it was so salty and the meat was tasteless. We had to ask for salt for that! We were rushed through the meal that should have been a show. I wasn't even able to finish my food as they wanted to move on..
The entertainment was good but the drinks were a joke. They upcharged and seemed to forget what the price was inconsistent from each server and each bar. They poured premium even if you asked not and still charged your room. You asked for well drinks and they poured premium!
The shore excursions were poorly run and often the guides level of English was not understandable. Mostly a waste.
My bed was comfortable and the water pressure in my shower was impressive, but you could not pay me to get on another NCL ship. My whole group lost weight as often the food was terrible. We would head to get chocolate ice cream soft serve 4 times a day to keep the weight on. But even those machines didn't always work and it was not easy getting anyone to pay attention to take care of simple things.
We thought the ship was a floating Denny's. Even that food would have been preferable.
I paid over $5000 for my own balcony on a 10 night cruise. That works out to $500 a day, for that money we should have had good food! Read Less

This was a wonderful cruise and the perfect way for a coeliac to travel safely around Japan.
The cruise was interrupted by two typhoons and the departure was delayed by a day and some ports were cancelled and replaced with new ports ... Read More

This was a wonderful cruise and the perfect way for a coeliac to travel safely around Japan.
The cruise was interrupted by two typhoons and the departure was delayed by a day and some ports were cancelled and replaced with new ports visited. Celebrity refunded the first day of the cruise and alcohol package and paid for the extra nights accomadation in Yokohama due to the delay.
The cruise began in Yokohama and it is a very pretty port and loads to do and see if arriving the day before the cruise.
The Millennium was built in 2000 and compared to the Soltice you can see where celebrity has developed their fleet over the years. The reason for the 4 star is simply that the bar outside the Ocean View restaurant simply wasn’t big enough compared to the Soltice and the walking track on the 11 floor wasn’t as pleasant as the Soltice but these are minor issues. We had a wonderful time on the ship and enjoyed every minute. It was a very busy cruise with only three sea days and every other day we were in port. The highlights for me was Kobe with a day trip to Kyoto via bullet train then the golden pagoda. Nagasaki was a delightful small port and very easy to navigate as a solo visitor. Shimizu was also well worth the shore excursion, sadly didn’t see Mount Fuji due to cloud cover.
Two stand out performances were the Japenese Drummers and Geisha performance. I was very appreciative that Celebrity offered these performances. Read Less

After a tour of Sri Lanka we joined the ship in Colombo. Our second cruise on E2.
I really want to love Hapag Lloyd they do try most of the time, what with 2 yearly make overs and lots of pride (& money) I thought ALL the early ... Read More

After a tour of Sri Lanka we joined the ship in Colombo. Our second cruise on E2.
I really want to love Hapag Lloyd they do try most of the time, what with 2 yearly make overs and lots of pride (& money) I thought ALL the early wrinkles would be gone, they are not.
At pick up from the appointed hotel we were turned away from full coaches and waited for another to arrive. Not a great start. We were to pass sister ship Europa during this voyage yet this was not arranged during daylight, missed opportunity!
The ship is looking wonderful, but pinch points are just as bad. On our very warm cruise the robes provided were heavy toweling.Wi Fi speed is very slow and MUST be improved.
Still attracting very few non German passengers, yet the whole crew are English fluent and a pleasant British hostess is employed to assist non German speakers if required. There is no way for staff to identify non German speakers or their cabins so one repeatedly requests the "English Menu" or whatever. Dress code only asks for men to ware a jacket in restaurants but many took them off so what is the point??
Still no drinks package, just a $200 allowance and some in room drinks. That's OK as the wine and drinks list is excellent and affordable with no "service charge". There is a rather tacky Raffle for the crew and a donation box available,
The annoying thing is having to pay for bottle water at lunch and dinner. OK that is the German way, so I expect they never ask for "a glass" but lots of us find this irritating and it is time to sort this problem. Many ships bottle their own.
Sansibar can suffer from heat and smokers. We had coughing smokers to left and right of our cabin balcony, smokers are common on this ship!
In the cabin the vast number (8 beside my bed) of light switches are now loosing their markings which is no help to the very difficult system. Beds are still 2 singles pushed together with very heavy bed covers x2. Cabin walls are so poor at sound deadening voices are heard. The new TV's are huge screen but films and channels are limited, with no BBC nor USA. I reported the bathroom basin plug not closing twice but it was not fixed.
Watch out if you want to reserve a sun bed, friends had all their possessions moved off by another passenger (yes German) . No charm school here.
On board, and beach, parties are still excellent, however some passenger started to fall down drunk onshore, and the ships Dr needed to come and collect them up!
Food and drink quality and service was high. However food style will remain Germanic and not please every pallet, take baking for instance. "Elements" Asian food could be disappointing with mostly Indian Chefs. Out of meal times I found options very limited and room service rather poor. How old fashion to order via reception desk staff who do not even see your room number displayed.The "Yacht Club Grill" was bad.
Some shows/bands were excellent but sometimes the timing is spread thin and the Club2 underused. Some lectures are made available in English. The "Entertainment Officer" Frank was seldom seen and stuck to his TV studio!
The use of the new and excellent "Belvedere"room for concerts is still not good, what with pillars to block sight lines and fridge noise.
On the final day/disembarkation we had no berth alongside at Bali and all bags and passengers needed to be Tendered ashore. Not the end of the world, but they packed us in in an uncomfortable way, our final memory of the cruise! Read Less

This was our 5th Cruise with Azamara and cruising down the West Coast of Australia is the wrong time of year as it is Cyclone season. Although we didn’t come across one there were a few in area both before and after our sailing down the ... Read More

This was our 5th Cruise with Azamara and cruising down the West Coast of Australia is the wrong time of year as it is Cyclone season. Although we didn’t come across one there were a few in area both before and after our sailing down the coast.
Embarkation was a little longer then we have previously experienced as there were torrential rain in Bali and I think everyone wanted just to get onboard and stay dry.
It was great to see familiar faces as we boarded handing us a glass of champagne Read Less

We have Elite Status on Celebrity which says, we are fans!
Our previous Celebrity Cruise was on the Millennium as well... Vancouver to Japan. We were on Concierge level which, to be honest, is not worth the extra. Friends were on ... Read More

We have Elite Status on Celebrity which says, we are fans!
Our previous Celebrity Cruise was on the Millennium as well... Vancouver to Japan. We were on Concierge level which, to be honest, is not worth the extra. Friends were on Aqua and were raving about it, We had wanted to even see the Blu restaurant and even the Concierge couldn't arrange it. WE found a 'deal' on Aqua for this cruise so booked it. Loved the shower. Tried to get some good non-allergic pillows. The first one was like a brick. The 2nd was like a dishrag. I wrote a comment to the Accommodations Manager but received no comment back. The room attendant tried his best but to no avail.
The food in Blu was good... but nothing outstanding... I sent back a rack of Lamb that was raw... and on another occasion a steak that was tough. My wife returned a chicken breast that was so tough she couldn't cut it. SECRET: you can order off the regular dining room menu... or virtually anything else ... so just ask.
It was nice to have the same Cruise Director and the same Captain Club manager plus the amazing Tina as Musical Director.
The best part of the cruise was a result of logging into Cruise Critic's Roll Call. Jon had arranged the rental of a 10-cabin Junk for Halong Bay. Ziggy had arranged a 2-day tour in Bangkok. Penny had arranged some other day tours in Vietnam. All we needed to do was send money! Check out the Roll Call on your next trip!!! Read Less

We are a young couple, and we'd like to travel and to enjoy to local cultures. This is our second cruise, and we decided to try another part of the world. After checking different itineraries and cruise lines, we decided to go for ... Read More

We are a young couple, and we'd like to travel and to enjoy to local cultures. This is our second cruise, and we decided to try another part of the world. After checking different itineraries and cruise lines, we decided to go for Royal Caribbean.
Let's start from the beginning, we had booked the 8 night Singapore to Hong Kong cruise, which sounded great with interesting ports of call. After exploring four days of Singapore, we boarded on Saturday the Voyager of the seas. The first thing we noticed was that from the outside the ship looked a little bit dirty. Anyway, we were excited to board and to explore the ship. Boarding in Singapore was extremely easy and fast. In 30 minutes we were on the ship and in our stateroom. We had booked a balcony stateroom.
Our balcony stateroom was a little bit old fashioned, but OK. The sheets on the bed were not entirely clean, but were changed immediately. The bathroom was just OK, the toilet brush was hanging more on the floor, than on the wall. The balcony of our stateroom was nice, but not that clean. As we are not that picky, we decided not to complain and to start our vacation on board.
We really enjoyed the food on board, the selection was delicious and different every night. We found that there was a large choice. We had My Time dining, but unfortunately the timings to reserve the My Time time slot, were super restricted. We did not try one of the specialty restaurants, as we found it expensive. We did go a few times to the Windjammer (nice selection, nice buffets), but crazy busy all the time and very restricted opening hours.
In general, we do have to say, that on vacation, you don't want to rush to have dinner, lunch, snacks and/or breakfast. We felt rushed as the opening times of all restaurants were very restricted. For example on Sea Days, the breakfast stopped serving at 9.30 in the Sapphire dining room (this is one of the reasons, why we only ate there once for breakfast). Expect huge crowds of guests at Windjammer as they closed at 10.30. We took breakfast in our room almost every day of the cruise. The selection was good and they were always on time. Café Promenade was very busy on Sea days, with not enough space to sit. For any Room Service requests (not breakfast), you need to pay a service fee, which we found to be ridiculous. We had the Royal Burger and some other snacks, the food was good.
We enjoyed a couple of the bars on board for cocktails and beers; The Pig and Whistle Pub was one of our favorites as we met very nice people there and drinks were good.
For the entertainment, we only saw one show (timings are strange and not adapted to dining times), it was very good. The ice show on the skating rink was amazingly good and we enjoyed it on a Sea Day.
Pools/ Jacuzzi's were nice, but crowded.
We decided to book a photo shoot on the helipad of the ship. The photographer did not show up twice (we changed it after the first time nobody showed up). Nevertheless, they charged us already 30 dollars on our account without even having seen a photographer.
Be prepared for extreme up selling. They will try to sell you everything : drinks packages, meals in other restaurants, excursions, art, ... Normally, it does not bother me a lot, but this went over the top.
We did not do any tours with RCI, except for the bus trip to Ho Chi Minh and the all access tours.
-Ho Chi Minh (Ho chi minh on your own). Be informed that it is almost impossible to get to the city without reserving anything beforehand. Ho Chi Minh was very nice, and we did all the highlights on our own.
- Bangkok (Super far from the port of call, if we had known in advance, we might have changed our cruise). It took us over 2 hours to arrive in Bangkok by private transfer. Bangkok, is nice and vibrant. But one day is too short to visit this massive city!
- Nha trang, Vietnam. Nothing special, we enjoyed the beach and the town centre. You can rent some beach chairs and parasols for 2 dollar.
- All access tour : enjoyable, but expensive for the price. No gadget or souvenir included in the price. The guide was very kind and showed us the kitchen, galley, staff corridors, the bridge. The tour lasted for about 2h30.
Overall, we enjoyed our cruise, but we expected more from RCI as the cruise was not one of the cheapest. Service is mediocre and the ship needs some paint/ refurbishment.
Embarkation in Hong Kong was a complete disaster. Getting of the ship took us nearly 2 hours. Read Less

***AS USUAL, THIS IS A DETAILED REVIEW OF MY EXPERIENCE ON THIS SPECIFIC CRUISE:
- This was a repositioning 12 day cruise around Asia, we were a party of 6 in our early 30´s, late 20´´s in 3 different balcony cabins, I got cabin ... Read More

***AS USUAL, THIS IS A DETAILED REVIEW OF MY EXPERIENCE ON THIS SPECIFIC CRUISE:
- This was a repositioning 12 day cruise around Asia, we were a party of 6 in our early 30´s, late 20´´s in 3 different balcony cabins, I got cabin 12712.
We arrived at Singapore a few days before we embarked and we stayed in a hotel called STUDIO M HOTEL which was a a few hundred meters from Clarke Quay, a very popular área with lots of restaurants and bars, the hotel is very nice and the rooms are very spacious for 2-3 people at most, the room was a 2 level loft, great customer service and great Wi-Fi. First I must say that Singapore is a beautiful city with lots of things to do, very modern, expensive and people is very nice, we really enjoyed our time in the city.
*EMBARKATION: We took a Uber to the port, but be careful, there are 2 different port, make sure you ask the right one, in this case is called MARINA PORT, the uber took us to the other one and we almost lost the ship, we basically were the last ones to embark so we had no problema with lines or embarkation, it went smooth, fast and easy.
*Port: HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: I must say that his place exceded my expectations, the city is beautiful with lots of things to do, in this place the ship stayed overnight so we decided to rent an apartment through AIRBNB and we got a beautiful apartment with great view close to downtown; in this place there are many things to do and the city is huge! Make sure you visit the parlament, the opera house (Check the website for shows, there are many, we went to a show called TEH DAR and it was beautiful and cheap, around 25 dlls per person in the 12th row, also make sure you take an uber moto, they are fun and safe! Also make sure you visit all the temples you can, each one of them is beautiful!, also don´t forget to visit the catedral, we also wen to have lunch to a very recommended vietnamese restaurant called Qhna Hang Ngon, it is very good and cheap!! Night life in this city is also very fun and cheap.
*Port: DA NANG, VIETNAM: This was the second port of call, there were 2 options to visits in this place: DA NANG or HUE, we chose the first one and we really like it, nothing compared to Ho Chi Minh City but this place is nice, full of nice temples and markets, mostly to shop around for typical vientamese souvenirs, make sure you take the mountain tour, I Heard its great!
*Port: HONG KONG: This was the third port of call, in this place we decided to ask for authorization of the ship to stay here and catch the ship on the next port since there was 2 sea days in between, we decided to take advantage of this time and see more of HK and Seoul and I must say it was totally worth it, Hong Kong was by far the best city in all my trip, it has many things to do for all kind of taste, make sure you visit the big budah, victorias peak, also make sure you catch the night light show on the promenade, it has a beautiful view of the skyline, also make sure you visit the observation tower which is one of the tallest in the world, the food is very good, people is nice! Make sure you go to the Wong Tai Sin Temple. I stayed in a hotel called SOHOTEL, rooms are very small but the hotel is nice and it has one of the best customer service ever! Also nightlife in here is very fun.
*Port: SEOUL: This city is similar to Singapur but with less skyscrappers, the city is beautiful, the palace is nice, there is a tower that is new and is a must and is one of the tallest buildings in the world also, people here are nice and nightlife is very fun as well; in this port, the embarkation was a pain in the butt, very unorganized and the port is on construction so its hard to find the way in, make sure you take korean instructions with you to get to the port.
*SHIP: The vessel is amazing, I have nothing but good things to say about it, the decoration is beautiful, the food is very good, the entertainment is excellent, casino is fun, shows are amazing, especially pixels and beautiful dream, make sure you don´t miss those 2, also live love legs.. There are several games made for adults, make sure you don´t miss them either and also the iFly was so much fun! The only thing I didn´t like about the ship is that the nightclub closes at 3am, in all the other cruises I have been, they close around 5am! One night we were lots of people and there was no music! We had to talk to several supervisors to get the music started, other tan that everything was perfect, buffet was very good, make sure you try wonderland! Its a very nice and different dinning experience, it has an extra cost but its worth it; the cabin was the best I have ever been! It was very spacious, decoration was beautiful, shower and bathroom was also very good and clean and the Stewart was great! Overall I love everything about the ship, the solárium is in the back part of the ship and its inside, I love the decoration in it and the fact that its inside so it doesn´t matter if its cold or if it rains, the solárium its always a good choice!
*DINNING: Everything was excellent, I really liked the buffet, there was always something new to try, desserts are good too and the main dinning room was very good as well except for the last night which was horrible, cold and with no taste at all. Never tried the room service.
*DISEMBARKATION: Here´s why I didn´t rate 5 / 5, the disembark was a nightmare, very unorganized and it took forever to get off the ship, we took almost 3 hours and a half, we lost our train and there were only a few inmigration officers on the counters, that was another minus on the disembarkation process, I know is not Royals fault but the way they organized the exit was very bad, they need to improve that asap!!
Overall, I had an amazing time on the ship, great food, great people, great entretainment, great cabin and great customer service! I had a problema back in Seoul related with Royal and they couldn´t help me which made me very mad, but they gave me a very good compensation for it so at the end everything was good. I will definitely sail with royal again!! By the way, I Heard all but good things for Royals shore excursions on this ship so make sure you skip it and book independent tours!! Read Less

Originally purchased two years ago on what we thought was a good deal at the time, the 123GO! promotion.
First of all let me start by saying that at the end of the cruise someone somewhere has lost Julie's luggage. This did not ... Read More

Originally purchased two years ago on what we thought was a good deal at the time, the 123GO! promotion.
First of all let me start by saying that at the end of the cruise someone somewhere has lost Julie's luggage. This did not even make it to the cruise port on Sunday morning for us to pick it up. This caused us much consternation as we had to rush off through Immigration to catch the Taxi to the Airport, so this may not be the fairest of reviews you could find. Julie's loss not only will cost us over £1000 but also her five year diary was inside and the memories may be lost forever. So if you know of someone that may have picked up the wrong case by mistake, please let us know, it was a red Samsonite shell case, medium in size.
Vietnam was not what we expected and in a good way, great trips organised by one of our fellow passengers, the trip was provided by My Way and very good too.
Hong Kong was a bit of a washout weather wise, but that is no ones fault. However we only go three hours to explore as we had booked one of the ships tours and was not off the ship until 09:45, despite docking at 07:00, then had to be back before 14:30. Giving us three hours to walk around, simply not enough to travel half the way around the world for.
Manilla was good; again a ship's tour, which was good. Nice to see historic places and well timed.
We loved Boracay, fantastic place to walk around, don't bother with the ship's tours as you can get about very easily yourselves.
Kota Kinabalu was stunning as we took the ship's tour to an island for snorkeling, however friends of ours caught a boot local to the dock and had much longer for less money, you takes your choice!
We enjoyed the food at the MDR, not a match for previous cruises but good enough not to complain. We also paid for the Dining experience and so visited the Ocean Liners and Tuscan Grill speciality restaurants. Both were very good but the service and food in Ocean Liners was fantastic.
Connie is due to visit dry dock soon to be refitted and not before time, the ship was tired and in desperate need of a makeover is several places. Come on Celebrity you can do better than this.
Overall a good cruise and just about worth the money paid, however we did not book for another cruise as the Future Cruise options/deals offered were similar to deals we can find ashore, not counting the future discount that always appear.
So a sad goodbye from us we shall try elsewhere, hi Holland America good to see you again!
Ian. Read Less

12 night extended family cruise with 6 of us in 3 staterooms on Caribe Deck.
The Diamond Princess is a lovely ship and seemed very well maintained. As always the staff are magnificent providing excellent service. A younger cruise for ... Read More

12 night extended family cruise with 6 of us in 3 staterooms on Caribe Deck.
The Diamond Princess is a lovely ship and seemed very well maintained. As always the staff are magnificent providing excellent service. A younger cruise for Princess with an average age probably around 45 comprised of about 50% Australian, 25% Russian and the rest of the world making up the other 25%.
Highlights for us was the evening meals - usually in the Savoy Restaurant with anytime dining. The anytime dining restaurants seemed to peak around 8pm so we chose to eat earlier at 6:30pm and got very nice window tables and got to know our regular waiters Albert and Atesh. We usually had four course meals (you can have as many courses as you want) which were mostly excellent and beautifully presented. We had drinks packages so had wine by the glass and a cognac to finish. We splashed out sometimes on things like Veuve Champagne (at 40% off made it priced pretty reasonably).
Horizon Court is what it is - a buffet - but the choices were reasonable. Celebrity do it much better in my opinion. Our only gripe was that after 11pm there was nothing to eat anywhere other than room service. Even just a pizza station would have been good.
We enjoyed all the activities with the Entertainment staff who worked very hard and were good fun. The production shows, in particular Bravo, were excellent. We really didn't go to the non production shows and just hungout in Explorers in the evenings.
For speciality dining we had one night in the Sterling Steakhouse which could have been a bit more atmospheric - the waiters we had were a hoot and the steaks not bad either. Sabatinis was not so good - nice atmosphere but did not live up to expectations. Food was ok but the staff did not make you feel like you were having a special night.
Lots of time for relaxation in the Japanese the spa - which seemed quite underutilised. For $15 it was good value including the outside spa and deck chairs.
We weren't fussed about the destinations really - just happy cruising around the equator - highlights were Penang and Langkawi.
We had drinks packages which we utilised well making the most of after dinner single malt whiskys and cognacs. It was great to have Churchills as a nice place for cigar smokers.
Not the fault of Princess but the behaviour of some of the passengers left a lot to be desired. I've never seen so many brawls (why fight over a deckchair!). Security did handle situations well but it should not be tolerated.
Embarkation and disembarkation were exceptionally smooth.
One of our family members noted that the first GLBT get together was supposed to be hosted but was not. Some kind of identifier for the first meeting would have been really good.
So many reviewers seem to moan but the Diamond is a good quality 4 star plus ship!
We like Princess so would go again - but also like Celebrity as well. Celebrity is just that bit posher and cultured. Read Less

This was a maiden voyage for Celebrity for these destinations. The cruise started in Abu Dhabi with 2 days in Dubai, 4 sea days, New Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, 2 sea days, Oman, Abu Dhabi.
Dubai is a fascinating city with awesome ... Read More

This was a maiden voyage for Celebrity for these destinations. The cruise started in Abu Dhabi with 2 days in Dubai, 4 sea days, New Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, 2 sea days, Oman, Abu Dhabi.
Dubai is a fascinating city with awesome architecture. This would have been a five star review except for the port of New Mangalore which was a complete bust. We were told that this port will be removed from future cruises. At least Celebrity learned from this experience and, after all, it was a maiden voyage. I hope the person who arranged this port doesn't get fired.
The ports of Goa and Bombay were OK but nothing special. We really needed longer times in both for a better experience. Hopefully dropping New Mangalore will provide an additional day in Bombay.
We were unable to get into Oman because of high winds. Cudos to the captain for keeping us safe...no heroics. However, we then beelined for Abu Dhabi when most passengers would rather have taken a leisurely sail instead. We arrived early in the afternoon at the port of AD but were unable to disembark to explore, much to the chagrin of everyone.
The Aqua Class balcony was great and Blu restaurant was excellent as usual. We also did the Chef's dinner for $120.00 which is our favorite activity and never disappoints. Room steward and waiters were spot on the entire cruise. Entertainment was excellent also. Read Less

Having sailed on the Sapphire and Emerald we dis not think we would be in for such a disappointment . MANY people had their rooms flooded, toilets not flushing, lack of hot water and the list goes on. Many mornings , early hours, there ... Read More

Having sailed on the Sapphire and Emerald we dis not think we would be in for such a disappointment . MANY people had their rooms flooded, toilets not flushing, lack of hot water and the list goes on. Many mornings , early hours, there would be noises like you were in an industrial area. Grinders, chipping hammers,paint odour and voices. I had read this type of complaint by past passengers butt it was too late. We had already paid and the cancel date had passed.
The food and service was more than satisfactory. Would recommend but this review is directed at the ship. Incidentally this vessel has been sold to P & O. I heard it goes into dry dock around May 2017 and will be launched under a different name.
As a cruise liner in its current condition it would make a great imitation reef.
Be aware the photo shown of " your room" may not be accurate. Ours showed one thing and it was considerably smaller to the point one person could go to bed walking alongside the bed. The other side was absolute minimal room , about 200mm with a chair blocking access so you had to climb into bed from the end of the bed.
DEFINATELY avoid this vessel for now.
Certainly pay attention to passenger reviews.
Our room was not as advertised but luckily we didn't have the inconveniences that many passengers encountered.
Very disappointing as we have enjoyed previous tours with OTHER princess ships. Read Less

This was our first Azamara cruise and we liked it so much, we've already booked our next one. We were fortunate to be the first passengers after the refit in Singapore and we found a beautifully appointed ship with comfortable places ... Read More

This was our first Azamara cruise and we liked it so much, we've already booked our next one. We were fortunate to be the first passengers after the refit in Singapore and we found a beautifully appointed ship with comfortable places to relax, have a drink, meet friends, eat a wonderful dinner, or have a quiet moment. What we loved about the size of the ship is there are no lines like you get on the standard cruises - no long wait to embark, no hunting for a table at breakfast or lunch, no lines to go off on a shore excursion, no lines at any of the dining venues, and always a comfy lounger by the pool!
Everything was elegant, civilized, amazingly clean, comfortable and relaxed. Nothing was snobby and I was happy to see people had left the ball caps and cut offs as well as the ball gowns at home. We met people from all over the world and everyone was warm and friendly.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the service. Every single person, from the cabin attendants to the Captain were friendly, helpful and available to all the guests and we each were made to feel like family. We filled out a survey on the third day about how things were going. I mentioned that the entertainment in the Living Room during the cocktail and tapas hours was too loud for conversation. I received calls from the cruise director, the head of hotel services and from guest relations. The music was immediately toned down (and the number of people in the bar increased) and I was thanked several times for speaking up. Everyone made an effort to know our names, and after the first few days, knew what we liked to drink and where we liked to sit.
We chose to add the "Like" package to our cruise and would definitely do it again. This program came out after we had booked our shore excursions which meant we had to cancel some before the cruise to use the $400 credit for excursions booked on-board. I stressed about this, for no reason it turns out, because there was room available on all the excursions we had cancelled. I was very pleased with the unlimited wi-fi and posted lots of pictures for family and friends to follow. As well, we were happy with the included liquor package upgrade and were able to choose everything we usually drink at home. We also added a dining package and ate at Aqualina two nights and Prime C one. Next time we'll switch it up. Both are excellent although I felt the lighting in Aqualina could be dimmed a little for more atmosphere.
We spent a few days in Singapore before the start of the cruise which let us recover from the very long plane ride from home and explore this very interesting (and ridiculously clean) city. We easily mastered the metro and saw the Botanical Gardens, Gardens by the Bay, rode the Singapore Flyer, took a bumboat ride and a trishaw tour. We also became somewhat acclimated to the high heat and humidity that we would experience wherever we stopped on the cruise. I would recommend a visit here for anyone passing through this way. Only one shore excursion took us to the dreaded 'craft sale' but it did have a western bathroom which was a redeeming factor. We saw a lot, learned even more and have so many memories. Read Less

We typically travel suite class. Because it has been going where we want to go, when we want to go, we've been traveling Princess. The Sapphire Princess is a large ship! The disadvantage is that it often is berthed in a cargo area of ... Read More

We typically travel suite class. Because it has been going where we want to go, when we want to go, we've been traveling Princess. The Sapphire Princess is a large ship! The disadvantage is that it often is berthed in a cargo area of the port Vs. "in/nearer town".
Despite the number of passengers, there is enough space on the ship so you don't think it is crowded. The dining rooms serves good food. The alternative dining rooms, additional fee, are fine too. There are formal nights; however, the dress code is slipping (on all the cruise lines). The code is not enforced. Some passengers make a mockery of the code.
The ships tours are good. Eliminates the need to arrange for private tours at the various ports (although we have arranged to be met by private tour guides). No matter what category you are traveling on the ship, check-in leaves a lot to be desired. Typically, check-in is the worst part of the cruise. They haven't mastered it yet. Some cabins do not have a separate shower from the tub; ugh!
Bottom line: You'll enjoy your Princess Cruise!
Late submission due to extensive overseas travel April-July Read Less

We paid a huge sum for 18 nights in top Queens Grill class.
I found very little in return from Cunard/Carnival.
We were not shown to our cabin (we did not know this ship).
Except for breakfast the food did not reflect the flowery ... Read More

We paid a huge sum for 18 nights in top Queens Grill class.
I found very little in return from Cunard/Carnival.
We were not shown to our cabin (we did not know this ship).
Except for breakfast the food did not reflect the flowery language of the menu.
Food quality was not what I expected.Room service food poor.After we moved tables we were very happy with our waiters and we were also lucky with our cabin stewards.
As on many ships staff are from some 60 countries so English language skills are variable.
Our QG cabin deck 9 was large enough yet looked ordinary. Our wash basin was cracked and the shower was over the short bath.The double bed was made by pushing two singles together leaving a mattress gap in the middle.TV was very limited with no extra functionality.
Balcony cabin doors were hinged not sliding so the slamming noise was frequent.
Pools were ordinary.
Entertainment cheap mostly, often one man performers.
Ships Officers kept a low profile keeping hidden.
The June 2016 major refit is vital.
We paid a massive ticket price, daily service charge, and 15% drinks service charge on top.
Value for money is missing. Read Less

Having read a number of online reviews prior to the cruise, I soon realised that this ship is NOT the best Princess has to offer.
The food quality onboard was poor, which led to disappointing meals - with the exception of the ... Read More

Having read a number of online reviews prior to the cruise, I soon realised that this ship is NOT the best Princess has to offer.
The food quality onboard was poor, which led to disappointing meals - with the exception of the supplementary restaurant Sabatini’s. The selection on many days in the Horizon Court left a lot to be desired, the quality of food seemed much lower than normal in both the Horizon Court and main dining rooms onboard, and we never experienced one hot dinner.
On numerous occasions we spotted insects and flies around the ship, mainly in the public restrooms and on one occasion in the Horizon Court Buffet.
The crew’s attitude, with a few exceptions, were the most miserable and unhelpful we’ve ever experienced. Most of the crew onboard were extremely rude and overall seemed highly demotivated.
The entertainment was quite frankly atrocious. The singers and dancers performed ONE show in seven nights and even then, half the dancers looked as though they didn't have a clue what they were doing. As an avid theatregoer, I found this extremely disappointing considering I have seen countless outstanding Broadway quality shows on other cruise lines.
The itinerary was the only thing that saved the cruise for us. Read Less

We had a wonderful trip on Road to Mandalay.
The staff was very friendly and helpful, always smiling. The Management was available at all time. The guides were very informative and the excursion places well-chosen.
We did the ... Read More

We had a wonderful trip on Road to Mandalay.
The staff was very friendly and helpful, always smiling. The Management was available at all time. The guides were very informative and the excursion places well-chosen.
We did the bicycle in Bagan in the morning and it was an unique experience. Seeing the temples in the morning, going outside of the tourist places, seeing the balloons among the temples, an unforgettable memory.
The food was always delicious and we had a great first night on the top deck at Bagan eating BBQ from the Thai Chef.
We saw other ships on the way and Road to Mandalay seemed to have the biggest top Deck and a swimming-pool not like the other ships.
We also tried the SPA and the massage was very relaxing and I felt so refreshed after. The SPA therapist spoke a little English but was very attentive to my needs.
So far, it was the best cruise I have did thanks to the Chef, the staff and the nice cabin and I will come back!
This cruise could be child friendly. Read Less

I love Royal Caribbean, but this by far, was it's worse.
The staff wasn't well trained - I asked the person at the guest services desk if I could purchase the bottled water package that included 12 bottles. He said there was ... Read More

I love Royal Caribbean, but this by far, was it's worse.
The staff wasn't well trained - I asked the person at the guest services desk if I could purchase the bottled water package that included 12 bottles. He said there was no such package. I showed him the advertisement. He brought it his manager and he said his manager didn't know about the package. They advised I drink 12 bottles from the mini bar and they'll charge me the equivalent. I refused. Eventually, I found a bartender who was able to help me purchase it.
The buffet wasn't good - The food at the buffet never changed. They have so much opportunity to do so (and provide delicious cuisine) given their ports in Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. But no. Instead leftover breakfast items (like grilled tomatoes and Belgian waffles) were served as afternoon snacks. Leftover lunch items were served for dinner. By the end of the week, the kitchen used up ingredients in random combinations: shrimp salad in hot dog buns, tuna on pizza, fake crab sticks used in sushi turned into a crab stick salad, and everything eventually turned into a soup.
The map was incorrect - On the website, Mariner of the Seas had Vintages, the wine bar. Also, Vintages could be found on the interactive maps on the ship. However, in reality, that space in the promenade was replaced with Michael Kors. I was expecting the same cupcake place (I forgot the name), Vintages, and other features from the promenades of other ships in Europe and the Caribbean. But no, none of them were there; they were all replaced by high-end shopping. There were other passengers who complained other promenades had cafes where they could sit; on this ship, seating in the promenade was limited.
The staff wasn't communicative - Upon check in, no one asked about our Vietnamese visas. In our boarding documents, nothing was mentioned about being provided a Vietnamese landing card for $6. When we boarded the ship, our passports were taken away, and no one said anything about visas. There was no mention of such in any printed communication. It wasn't until day 5 of the daily bulletin called Compass, I saw we needed to have surrendered our visas. But by then, our landing cards have been issued, and our accounts have been charged $6/person. The person at guest services said there was nothing they could do at that point. This upset me - for an American, the Vietnamese visa is $100, and it takes 1-2 weeks. I now wasted time and money for something that wasn't communicated to me. I couldn't even be credited a measly $12USD (let alone $80USD). Guest services called my room to explain I was informed via a handout at the beginning of the ship. I didn't get such form so I gave up this argument. This would've been much more convenient if I was informed upon check in or at least in our travel documents.
They wanted way too much money - There were too much name-brand high-end shopping. They even had two stores by the name of Regalia. (Obviously, they really want guests to shop there that they insisted to put it in twice.) Other than at the ports, there was no where I could buy souvenirs from Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam.
They kept running out of food - Most of the wines on their menus weren't available. In fact, the food service person at the cafe in the promenade said they ran out of hot chocolate. The buffet ran out of shrimp for the shrimp curry. I found it odd that this was the first ship that actually ran out of anything.
The entertainment was so bad, I had to laugh - The Korean drum group Fantasticks did a lot of audience participation acts (like people scream and cheer) that in the 45 minute performance, they only drummed twice. Then the magician / illusionist the next night was so bad that he couldn't even finish one of his four tricks. He had 45 minutes and he only completed 3.5 tricks. (His GoPro, which projected onto the main screen, ran out of battery and he was using it to zoom in his deck of cards.) It was so awkward and sad to watch him convince the audience that it really was a good trick. He even admitted on stage he's only been doing this for 5 months. The activities director came out to convince the audience to come for the second show to watch it.
We didn't eat in the main dining room because according to the menus on the LED displays just outside of the rooms, there was always chicken breast, shrimp cocktail, and a beef dish. The other two items changed. One night, I asked a captain and asked if the items will changed. I'm not exaggerating - The captain proceeded to laugh at me and say that's impossible because the menu always changed. Then he walked away. I was still standing there.
The ship was understaffed - No one was ever in the fitness center. They readily allowed guests to use the weight machines either in sandals or barefoot. There were many guests obviously using the machines wrong, but I guess liability and injury wasn't a concern for anyone.
In addition, I understand this trip was marketed as a "cultural immersion," which simply put, it was catered to the Chinese and not American consumer (which I understand as a business perspective, but I'm being honest as a brand loyal member who felt misled. I must've misinterpreted the term cultural immersion as the ship being themed more Asian given our ports, not necessarily having an overwhelming number of Chinese passengers.)
Furthermore, it was bad enough I was consistently bothered by passengers' behavior (bumping into me, cutting in line, pushing in elevators, hovering over me while I eat so to take my table, making our tour bus late ... And please note, I've spoken to several Australian, British, and Singaporean guests who experienced the same but didn't want to say anything in fear of being seen as racist. Please note: we agreed this is alienating these particular guests from returning or recommending it to friends and family.)
Understandably, the behavior is beyond anyone's control but they really should rethink their marketing. The Australian, British, Singaporean guests, and I are not racists, but we are polite. (I've even seen Royal Caribbean staff get elbowed, and even breathed on. I'm not kidding.
But even with that, I felt overall service was compromised (with the above incidences listed), which isn't consistent with the service on the other ships.
Do not book this cruise. Read Less

We were in the so called "Aqua" class. Definitely NOT worth the extra money. Canapés in the room - ONLY if you are there and, an olive, and a very small piece of bread with some humus on it HARDLY qualifies. The room staff ... Read More

We were in the so called "Aqua" class. Definitely NOT worth the extra money. Canapés in the room - ONLY if you are there and, an olive, and a very small piece of bread with some humus on it HARDLY qualifies. The room staff were great, very attentive and helpful. And one of the bar tenders we met was also very helpful "Rocky" from India. The food, if you can call it that was awful. Usually overcooked, tough, and tasteless. Our experience with this cruise line was just plane terrible. WE boarded the boat at Noon our bags got to the room at 8:00 PM. Not a good start but a definite sign of things to come.
One thing, the acupuncturist on this boat is overbearing and and really twists your arm for appointments. My spouse ended up with three appointments that he charged him for after he said he would "consider it". And when we told him that we wanted this taken care of nothing happened until we went down and spoke with customer service. Read Less

No problem at all in getting on or off the ship at Singapore and Hong Kong (both fascinating places).
However the cities of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Danang and Hanoi are not readily accessible. You can pay up front the rather ... Read More

No problem at all in getting on or off the ship at Singapore and Hong Kong (both fascinating places).
However the cities of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Danang and Hanoi are not readily accessible. You can pay up front the rather steep charges by the cruise company for day-long excursions to these cities. Departures may start very early in the morning. Remember the ship has docked in an out-of-the way container port (not without interest, despite what the cruise brochure says). Or you get a group together and bargain for a private van or taxi. Keep in mind that the trip to the city will vary from one to three hours - a lot of time spent getting there and back - even if you do see interesting country-side - conical hats, rice transplanting, water buffaloes, markets stalls. Few ‘privateers’ will wish to take you on such a long trip. Beware of scammers, they may say they’ll take you for a low, agreed price but the English spoken is so poor you may get more charges than what you expect. Or be taken to places of their choosing, especially where the guide and driver direct you to a factory or display room where the pressure is on to get you to buy something. Guide AND driver - that’s two people whose lunch you might have to pay for and they will order everything plus alcohol and energy drinks even cigarettes (and you don’t comprehend a word!).
So at the beginning it would be better to say,’let me off downtown (in the centre) and pick me up later’. Walk around - you have been given local information by the Cruise line - or take a bicycle/rickshaw. Pick your own time and location to eat. It is not risky on your own, but a united front of two or three, will be more alert for scammers. The guide/driver ( or both) will ask for a ‘big tip’ on top and want to take you to an AMT. Say no NO! NO! - (unless they have merited it).The cruise lines suggest you be NICE NICE - it doesn’t work. When you get into the big city, avoid staying in the touristy areas - you’ll be besieged with demanding, pesky, loud vendors of goods and services - the worst I’ve seen since Naples in 1961. Tourists are the proverbial fish (ducks?) in the barrel!
Everything else - from food to cabin, from gym to crew on the cruise - was good to excellent. Interesting and varied entertainment is offered, but the performers often being American cannot get through their heads that this is an international cruise. Their audience is not from the U.S. so leave off please the constant references to toney neighbourhoods (a form of name-dropping) or to people from St Louis being dumb and other ‘in’ allusions known only to the blessed.
And get the sun while you can, don’t just wait for the day ‘at sea’ - there aren’t that many of them and the weather cool and wet (pre-typhoon?), the sea rough. It was fun to see, as the ship listed, all the water run out of one side of the pool, taking bras, sandals and towels with it.. However with good stabilization technology at work, sea-sickness is nowadays a rare occurrence.
Oh, the worst thing on the ship in terms of passenger comfort. You are constantly moving between hot, humid conditions outside and dry, c-c-c-cold air-conned salons, eateries and staterooms. Yes, you will use that blanket stored in the top cupboard because you may not get warm again. I tried to stoke up on echinacea beforehand. I brought the Smith Bros. with me. Cover up. Don’t touch anything - avoid elevator buttons, railings et al. Sanitize! I still got a cold and as the week progresses you spot the other sufferers. Teach your waiter (a good bartender will already know) how to make a cocktail for coughers - a shot of brandy, a few teaspoons of honey, slices of lemon, a wedge of pineapple skin on. Inhale - yes, deeply, it helps - for an hour then start sipping. This cost me, with ‘the additional tip’, almost ten bucks and I could easily use a few a day. Since the fruit was heavily impregnated with brandy, I extended the life of my elixir with the addition of hot water, honey, more lemon, and a little tea (all freely available at the coffee stand.) Inhalation is important. Sunshine and orange juice too!
Happy Cruising! Read Less

We sailed on the 2/7 cruise out of Singapore--started with an overnight in port. We had previously sailed with Century on a back to back in 2013 out of San Diego and enjoyed the ship and ports very much.
Most people know that the ship is ... Read More

We sailed on the 2/7 cruise out of Singapore--started with an overnight in port. We had previously sailed with Century on a back to back in 2013 out of San Diego and enjoyed the ship and ports very much.
Most people know that the ship is completing its final cruises before transitioning to a new ownership with a Chinese cruise company. We found the cruise to be excellent in many ways with only a few shortcomings--nothing major.
First the bad part--I had not looked at the cabin position (4105) and it turned out we were underneath the kitchen area of Murano--so late at night there was a lot of bumping/grinding/noise level that woke us up. Ear plugs solved the problem for the remainder of the cruise but during sea days it could be a little annoying. The Guest Relations folks were very attentive but I didn't think they could keep the crew from doing their work so I only complained 1x.
Food: We loved it and there was a lot of variety at the buffet and the dining room service and food were excellent. If there was a main dish we didn't like they removed it, brought what you wanted and the captain of the section came over to understand what was not to your liking--we thought the meat and fish were of good quality, temperature and taste.
Beverages: We had the classic package and it worked out fine--no complaints or concerns about what was available. Didn't see a need to upgrade on this cruise-
Ports: This cruise was on the list because of Myanmar which was wonderful. We did independent tours in all ports so can't comment about the ship's offerings.
Crew: In a word--fantastic--everyone was so friendly, including the officers, the cruise director was probably the best we have ever had and the activities, room attendants, wait staff, etc were all great. Hope to see them on a future Celebrity cruise-- Read Less

This is my 16th cruise but only my second with Celebrity. I am typically on NCL, often in their Haven level, as I love NCL's dining options. I was very happy with the Celebrity Millennium, as it was a great way to see exotic ports, ... Read More

This is my 16th cruise but only my second with Celebrity. I am typically on NCL, often in their Haven level, as I love NCL's dining options. I was very happy with the Celebrity Millennium, as it was a great way to see exotic ports, while being treated to great food and entertainment.
The ship itself is still in good shape, and has been well maintained. It has a a wonderful solarium w/indoor thalassotherapy pool, two outdoor saltwater pools, six hot tubs and plenty of thick towels constantly available, as many as you'd like. All lounge chairs, chaises and sun beds were in working order; I liked the classic look and feel of the wooden chaises in the solarium. The Persian Spa, run by Canyon Ranch, was nice, although a little choppy in design. The gym was well equipped and clean.
We were Aqua Class, stateroom #1108, and had a wonderful cabin steward, Ruffina, who was very prompt, helpful and instructive. We could not have had better service. Our stateroom was modern, and the bed was very comfortable. I enjoyed our bottles of champagne on arrival, though the daily afternoon crudités could use a little help: same tapas selections almost every day. NCL's 'Haven' rooms are much nicer as far as upcharge accommodations go, although Celebrity's Aqua level more than makes up for this with their incredible Blu Dining Room. For the dining alone, I highly recommend upgrading to the Aqua Class, especially on a relatively long voyage.
Again, the Blu Dining Room, which is only available to Aqua class guests, consistently offered superb service and selection for both breakfast and dinner. I wish Blu was open for luncheon as well! We dined in the specialty dining room The Olympic twice (not worth th upcharge of $50pp), and, although a beautiful setting, were underwhelmed with the food. Q-sine, the other upcharge restaurant, was fun and funky, with unique presentation and a great waiter, Patrick. My advice is to wait until they offer 2-for-1 specialty restaurant promotions (offered on 3 nights of our 14-day cruise) before trying either of these restaurants. We only ate at the buffet if we had early shore excursion or late excursion returns. I loved the fresh fruit, ice creams and breads; skip the pizza and pasta.
We had no trouble with tendering to our first 4 ports, although the wait time was sometimes frustrating. I chose this cruise for its stops at Komodo Island and Phuket.
The entertainment was fabulous, with the only misses being the two daily history and culture lecturers. Boring and off-the-mark! The special-performance entertainers were all incredible and some of the best I've seen on any cruise line. The ship's own singers/dancers were terrific, very professional and well choreographed, though the female leads were far superior to the men. The lounge acts were great, though I was surprised that nothing took place in the central atrium. It would have been nice to hear musicians throughout that area as one walks through the ship.
My only complaint on this wonderful 14-day adventure was the Internet service. I understand the shortfalls of satellite connections, but even in the Apple store and internet cafe, service was horrible. Totally frustrating and not worth the package prices. I had the unlimited package for $349/14 days, which is the only way to go, as service was so spotty that I had my devices running 24/7 in hopes of transmission.
Overall, I was quite satisfied with the ship, crew, ports and amenities, but I highly recommend the Aqua Class upgrade, especially for its access to the Blu dining room. I'm looking forward to another Celebrity adventure in the future! Read Less

We have sailed on many cruise lines over the years and last year travelled on this same ship when she departed from Singapore. We chose to sail again on her as she is the only Star Cruise line ship with a balcony and felt that leaving from ... Read More

We have sailed on many cruise lines over the years and last year travelled on this same ship when she departed from Singapore. We chose to sail again on her as she is the only Star Cruise line ship with a balcony and felt that leaving from Hong Kong for different waters would give us a similar experience with different destinations. I booked this online direct with the cruise line from Australia in Australian dollars (about $600 per night average for 2 people on deck 11 balcony BA class) so assumed it would be good for that amount of expense.
The ship has been completely redesigned now with very regimented dining options at limited set times and the meals are very little better than the quality you would buy for $5 on any roadside diner, certainly not the 4 or 5 star options offered by other cruise liners. Meals are designed entirely around the Chinese market they are marketing to and indeed, the number of English speaking staff has greatly reduced. Not 1 of the TV channels is in English. A great let down on our previous experience with this cruise company. I would personally not recommend non Chinese speaking/eating people, especially Australians used to better treatment and standards to use this liner while it sails from Hong Kong to Taiwan as this cruise did as there is far better value and courtesy to be had elsewhere. Read Less

We boarded in Hong Kong for a 14-day cruise to Singapore via Viet Nam and Thailand. This was our first time on Celebrity, although we had been on 12 other cruises on 8 other lines. We were pleased with the experience overall, but have some ... Read More

We boarded in Hong Kong for a 14-day cruise to Singapore via Viet Nam and Thailand. This was our first time on Celebrity, although we had been on 12 other cruises on 8 other lines. We were pleased with the experience overall, but have some suggestions for improvement.
The Ship: The Millenium is aging and shows it. Most of the indoor areas are in good condition, although the interior design is dated. The deck areas, however, are in need of maintenance. Much of the ship seems designed to maximize on-board charge revenue. There had been an outbreak of intestinal virus prior to our boarding, so the crew were constantly busy disinfecting. At times this was disconcerting, but the precautions were welcome. Indeed, the ship reported that some passengers on our cruise got sick.
Fellow Passengers: A very international set with native English speakers making up only about 60% Lots of people from Asia and South America. Mostly adults, although quite a few younger than retirement age. About 5% under age 20, very few families.
Stateroom: We were very lucky to stay in a Royal Suite, and I would be quite spoiled to find fault. We were very happy there, especially with the extraordinary service provided by our butler.
Service: Perfunctory, adequate, at times a bit friendly. Comparable to other mass market lines.
Food and Beverage: Main dining room was always at least adequate, with some great successes. Comparable to other mass market lines. We had dinner in Blu 3 times and were very happy with the bistro-quality food there. The Olympic provided steakhouse quality food on par with premium restaurants on other lines. Qsine was a bit bizarre with an Ipad menu gimmick. We thought we were ordering from the pads, but in reality a server took our order verbally, and then brought out way too much food. This was not clearly explained. The Oceanview buffet was a bit of a free-for-all with too much pushing and shoving, with food of a very mediocre quality. Celebrity charges for beverages and pushes beverage packages, which seemed a good buy only if you drink a lot, or if your travel agent gets you a discount on the package.
Fitness Center: Terrific. Lots of equipment and machines. While it is intensely used, the large scale made it very easy to access the equipment I needed. I was very happy with this feature.
Entertainment: Very cruise ship. We saw 2 shows in the impressive big theater, and both were entertaining, although neither had any edge. The band and singer who performed in the clubs were very, very good. Other performers were forgettable.
Enrichment: Poor quality. One lecturer and an improv class. That's all, other than the usual previews of excursions. An appalling art auction with many pieces of questionable value.
Excursions: We took 3, all adequate. There were problems with the English language skills of two of the guides, and I think a fact check for one of them would have turned up lots of made-up data. Still we had a very quick review of some exotic places, giving us a taste for whether we might return. The smartest thing we did was splurge on the 3-day overnight excursion to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. As extraordinary experience.
Who Are We: Two retired gents in our 60s with extensive world travel under our belts. Generally we prefer land-based travel and the chance to get to know a place in depth. We love ships, traveling on the sea, and prefer crossings with at-sea days to port-intensive cruises. We have taken 13 cruises on 9 different lines with no loyalty to any line in particular. Read Less

This was our second cruise on Princess, and better than our first on the Pacific (though the Amazon itinerary was great!). Though the Diamond hadn't been refurbished in dry dock, we enjoyed the ship. Spacious, and always a place to ... Read More

This was our second cruise on Princess, and better than our first on the Pacific (though the Amazon itinerary was great!). Though the Diamond hadn't been refurbished in dry dock, we enjoyed the ship. Spacious, and always a place to hole up and read and relax!
We stayed in a Penthouse Suite, mid ship. The service and amenities were fantastic. Loved the suite life! Overnight stay at the Captain Cook was ok. Tired hotel, but good supper in their pub. Transfer service was very good. Coach to Whittier. Our ports of call were in Russia, Japan, South Korea and 3 in China. Several sea days, which we loved. Lotus day spa was just right!
We reserved a table for 2 for the early dining, and were given a table in the Savoy. Not really impressed with Princess' culinary and dining room service...however their steakhouse satisfied! In-room dining was good. Enjoyed a couple of evening meals at MUTS and that was fun.
Enjoyed our cruise and the staff. Would give the nod to Celebrity for service (where the smiles and attention seem more genuine) and dining in Blue / Specialty venues seem more to our liking.
Glad we did this itinerary, finally! Read Less

his was our 4th cruise, the 3rd on a Celebrity Ship, the first 2 were on the Solstice class ships. The Millennium was "Solsticized" to use Celebrity's term. I saw minimal evidence. The public spaces were nice, however ... Read More

his was our 4th cruise, the 3rd on a Celebrity Ship, the first 2 were on the Solstice class ships. The Millennium was "Solsticized" to use Celebrity's term. I saw minimal evidence. The public spaces were nice, however I've never had so much trouble walking on a deck in my life and I was in the Navy. The Floors are extremely uneven with lots of bumps and unexpected drops often a 2-3 or even 4 inch change between areas and WITHIN areas. I can just imagine elderly people trying to navigate the decks.
Lots of VERY sloppy maintenance. The carpets in the main dining room were loose and caught chair legs or people's feet as they moved. I was attacked by a table leg being loose and falling on me in the same dining room. Bathroom stall walls were loose (screws missing), sliding doors were screeching etc. There were lots of areas in public view with peeling paint on sheet metal. The tables in the main theater were wobbly, oops, there goes another drink. The light diffusers were missing, oh, I needed that flash of light in my eyes.
Our cabin was Concierge class, oh boy, it was minuscule compared to the same ones on the Solstice. The balcony dividers cannot be opened to join an area together (our last tour on a Solstice ship we had 13 people together and just opened all the balconies together). Our slider whistled all the time. We finally stopped it with spent drink card wedged in the space. The curtains were dirty and missing hangers so they dangled. The closet doors had to be jammed closed (the European closers were loose). The bathroom toilet paper cover was held in place by a wood screw (which stuck out a 1/4 of an inch threatening to snag things). (BTW, I saw more use of sloppy wood screws in other locations to replace metal screws-- can't maintenance buy the right type of screws?) The veneer on the bathroom was coming off the cabinets. The soap holder was loose in the shower and the whole area was rusted and just painted over. The floor would bounce in the shower as we shifted around and it had a high point which prevented a lot of the water from draining rapidly. To top off all of the maintenance problems, we had engine problems and had to skip our last port which was the highlight of the trip --- Hanoi. I and several others, when I asked, had noted the strange vibration in the engine the night before we pulled into Hue which was when we found out there were issues. We were 2 hours late making port at Hue. We had our tours and a late leave, but that's when we were informed about the engine problems and that we had to skip Hanoi. We limped into our disembarkation port Hong Kong at HALF SPEED. Talk about a slow boat to China. (However, compared to Carnival our cruise was a piece of cake.)
The good thing, and that was a lot of good, was the staff; they were almost universally delightful. We had a chartered cruise (yes, the entire ship was chartered) so things were a bit more relaxed; so the usual stuffiness and barrier between staff and guests were let down. The crew really appreciated the lightness and the chance to have a bit more fun than usual. Our final dinner was a blast with the antics (good) of some of the waiters but this was overall the way it was all 11 days. The food in the main dining and specialty restaurants was good to excellent and again the staff was a delight. With the chartered ship we had a lot of our own entertainment but the staff show people did get to strut their stuff some too, but they had a light week also which was nice for them.
In summary, the staff made up for the ship's deficiencies; but Celebrity needs to put this tired thing out to pasture. Read Less